UNHCR warns lives have been upended on massive scale in Lebanon

GENEVA - Lives have been upended on a massive scale in Lebanon amid a wider conflict in the Middle East, with more than 667,000 people now registered as displaced within the country - an increase of 100,000 in just one day - the UN refugee agency said on Tuesday.

Lebanon was dragged into the US-Israeli war on Iran this month when militant group Hezbollah launched rockets and drones into Israel, which has responded with heavy bombardment across the country.

Some 120,000 people are staying in government designated shelters, while others are still looking for somewhere to stay, the UNHCR said, citing government figures.

"Many others are staying with relatives or friends or still searching for accommodation, and we see cars lined along the street with people sleeping in them and also on the sidewalks," said Karolina Lindholm Billing, UNHCR representative in Lebanon.

UNHCR's alert highlights the rapid displacement triggered by Israeli airstrikes and evacuation warnings, forcing tens of thousands to flee southern Lebanon, Beirut's southern suburbs, and the Bekaa Valley with little notice. Families, including many who are already refugees in Lebanon, have been left without homes, belongings, or a sense of normalcy, as clashes along the border escalate.

The crisis has led to widespread panic, with over 100 villages in southern Lebanon and parts of the Bekaa Valley under evacuation orders.

The renewed hostilities follow a fragile 2024 ceasefire, with Hezbollah launching missiles at Israel in response to broader regional tensions, including US-Israeli actions against Iran. Public sentiment in Lebanon has shifted from disbelief to outrage as evacuation orders expand and direct strikes increase.

UNHCR has mobilized from the outset, providing life-saving assistance, but the agency emphasizes that the situation is set to worsen without immediate restraint.